Device for manufacturing organic substance and method for manufacturing organic substance

Abstract

Provided is a novel apparatus capable of suitably manufacturing an organic substance from a syngas. An apparatus 1 for manufacturing an organic substance includes a syngas producing furnace (11), an organic substance synthesis unit (16), a moisture content raising unit (12), and a moisture content lowering unit (13). The syngas producing furnace (11) is configured to produce a syngas containing carbon monoxide by partly oxidizing a carbon source. The organic substance synthesis unit (16) is configured to produce an organic substance from the syngas. The moisture content raising unit (12) is disposed between the syngas producing furnace (11) and the organic substance synthesis unit (16). The moisture content raising unit (12) is configured to raise a moisture content of the syngas. The moisture content lowering unit (13) is disposed between the moisture content raising unit (12) and the organic substance synthesis unit (16). The moisture content lowering unit (13) is configured to lower the moisture content of the syngas.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for manufacturing an organic substance, comprising:
 producing a syngas containing carbon monoxide by partly oxidizing a carbon source; 
 raising a moisture content of the syngas; 
 lowering the raised moisture content of the syngas; 
 evaporating water of a culture medium in a fermenter by feeding the syngas lowered in moisture content to the fermenter, the fermenter comprising a microorganism and a culture medium; 
 cooling inside of the fermenter due to the evaporation of the water; and 
 producing an organic substance from the syngas by fermentation using the mircoorganism. 
 
     
     
       2. The method for manufacturing an organic substance according to  claim 1 , wherein the moisture content of the syngas is raised while passing the syngas through water. 
     
     
       3. The method for manufacturing an organic substance according to  claim 1 , wherein an amount of moisture in the syngas after raising the moisture content of the syngas and before lowering the raised moisture content of the syngas is a saturated amount of water vapor. 
     
     
       4. The method for manufacturing an organic substance according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 feeding the syngas in a pipe connected to the fermenter after lowering the raised moisture content of the syngas, 
 wherein lowering the raised moisture content of the syngas comprises: 
 removing the moisture content of the syngas so that an amount of moisture in the syngas is smaller than a saturated amount of water vapor at the lowest temperature in the pipe. 
 
     
     
       5. The method for manufacturing an organic substance according to  claim 4 , wherein the raised moisture content of the syngas is lowered while cooling the syngas to below the lowest temperature in the pipe. 
     
     
       6. The method for manufacturing an organic substance according to  claim 1 , wherein the raised moisture content of the syngas is lowered while removing water-soluble impurities contained in the syngas whose moisture content is raised in raising the moisture content of the syngas together with the moisture content. 
     
     
       7. The method for manufacturing an organic substance according to  claim 1 , wherein a temperature of the syngas is lower than a temperature inside the fermenter when feeding the syngas lowered in moisture content to the fermenter.